Religious and Theological Abstracts

Tutorial

Simple Search:

• Click New Search • Select Full Text in the Fields window • In the Criteria window enter: hiv • Click on Search to access the list of relevant records • Click on Tag All • Click on Show Tagged to view abstracts • Use Page Down / Home / End to navigate through the records • Click on Print to print all records

Multiple Search - 'AND'

• Click New Search • Select Full Text in the Fields window • In the Criteria window enter: baptism • Select AND in the next Modifier window • Select Full Text in the next Fields window • In the next Criteria window enter: infant • Select AND in the next Modifier window • Select Full Text in the next Fields window • In the next Criteria window enter: Jeremias • Select AND in the last Modifier window • Select Full Text in the last Fields window • In the last Criteria window enter: Aland • Click on Search to display records dealing with the Jeremias/Aland debate on infant baptism

Multiple Search - 'OR'

• Click New Search • Select Full Text in the Fields window • In the Criteria window enter: Kant • Press TAB • In the next Modifiers window select OR • Select Full Text in the next Fields window • In the next Criteria window enter: Hegel • Press TAB • In the next Modifiers window select AND • Select Full text in the next Fields window • In the next Criteria window enter: reason • Click on Search to display records dealing with KantOR HegelAND reason

Wildcard Search - '*'

• Use of the * symbol includes multiple additions to a term • A search for Calvin* will find references to: Calvin, Calvin's, Calvinism, Calvinists • A search for bapti* finds references to baptism, baptist, baptize, etc.

Bible Citation Search

• Click New Search • Select Bible Citation in the Fields window • Click on Browse • In the List Search window, under Bible Citations, click on the first letter of the desired Bible Book - e.g., 'D' for Deuteronomy (for Second Chronicles, click on '2') • Click on Submit at the bottom of the list • For a specific reference, enter the chapter number behind the book name - Isaiah 7

• Click New Search • Select Title in the Fields window • In the Criteria window enter: new • Press TAB • In the next Modifiers window enter AND • Select Title In the next Fields window • In the next Criteria window enter: age • Click on Search to display records with New Age in the title • NOTE: As a rule, terms found in a title receive more in-depth discussion in the article

Search by Author

• Click New Search • Select Author in the Fields window • In the Criteria window enter: Smith, David L • Click on Search to display records of articles by David L. Smith • NOTE: The Browse feature is also available for search by author

Search by Journal Name

• Click New Search • To find abstracts appearing in a particular journal, select Journal Name in the Fields window • Click on Browse • At the Browse window, click on the first letter of the journal name • From the list, select the desired journal and click Submit at the bottom of the page • This will list all records in the R&TA database published in the selected journal • NOTE: "Journal" is often abbreviated as "J"

Search by Year of Publication

• Click New Search • Select Full Text in the Fields window • In the Criteria window enter: abortion • In the nextModifiers window enter: AND • Select Year in the next Fields window • In the next Criteria window enter: 1990+ • Click on Search to display articles on abortion published since 1990

Printing Selected Abstracts

• While viewing abstracts, click on the Tag box (lower right hand corner of each abstract) of the records you want to print • Click on Show Tagged (to eliminate unwanted records) • Click on Print to print the selection

General Search Methodology

• R&TA On-line searches ALL terms in the database (there is no 'thesaurus' of terms limiting the search to 'key words' an editor decided the article is about) • This procedure is similar to the protocol followed by Internet search engines • The user should develop searches that take advantage of this greater flexibility • Examples:1. A search for 'worldview' should also include a search for 'world' AND 'view'2. A search for 'Koran' should also include 'Qur'an'3. A search for 'American Indians' should also include 'Native Americans'4. A search for 'Latin America' should also include individual countries, e.g., Columbia, Brazil, etc.5. Old Testament and New Testament are usually abbreviated OT and NT6. United States is abbreviated 'USA' and not 'US,' to prevent confusion with 'us'